Inflated toy rocket assembly



Jan. 18, 1966 N. DRAGICH INFLATED TOY ROCKET ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 21, 1964 INVENTOR. NICHOLAS DRAGL/CH BY @M, aw/zz m ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,229,418 INFLATED TOY ROCKET ASSEMBLY Nicholas Dragich, 98 Riverdale Ave., Buffalo 7, N.Y. Filed Jan. 21, 1964, Sci. No. 339,160 2 Claims. (CI. 46-83) This invention relates to a toy in which an inflated plastic, rubber or other lightweight material is shaped, colored and marked to simulate a finned capsule as a last stage of a toy rocket assembly. This capsule may be equipped with a parachute if desired, which chute will, before said capsule is launched, be folded and inserted at the recess at the base of the capsule fins and held there by the insertion of an inflated second or booster balloon wedged into the same recess, and held there by friction until release of the toy into flight. Separation of the booster balloon and capsule is accomplished when propellant air in the booster balloon is exhausted, eliminating holding friction and propellant pressure and allowing each stage to fall accordingly to its own specific gravity. Once falling, the chute, attached to the last stage or capsule, is then released, opens and lowers its capsule to the earth.

Launching the toy may be accomplished either manually or by use of a lean-to rack equipped with a simple releasing trigger and a tip up device for positioning the assembly.

The first object of the present invention resides in the provision of fins as part of the integral body of a sim ulated space capsule, said fins designed so that, projecting from the lower part of the body, they form a recess into which an inflated booster balloon may be inserted to be held by friction until such time during flight that the propellant air in the booster balloon is exhausted eliminating holding friction and propellant pressure and allowing the capsule and booster balloon to fall free of each other. The second object of the present invention resides in the provision of lighter than air gas being used in the inflation of the said capsule, thereby reducing its Weight for better performance. The capsule should however, weigh more than the air it displaces for the obvious reason that the return to the earth of the capsule is desired.

The third object of the present invention resides in the provision of a parachute of lightweight construction whose shroud lines connect to one single strand as long as the distance from the nose of the capsule to the recess of same capsule, and whose other end connects to the nose of the capsule.

The fourth object of the present invention resides in the provision of a launching rack equipped with a spring release clip and a tip up device or positioning yoke as a means for releasing the toy while in a desired position with respect to aim and time of operation.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of toy showing the rocket assembly complete with capsule, booster balloon and launching rack.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the triggering or release mechanism of the launching rack.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the capsule, showing placement of the fins.

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the capsule.

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the capsule showing the attachment of a chute in extended position with the solid lines; and the same chute shown in folded pre-launching position by the dotted lines. The capsule view is a cross "ice section as shown by dotted lines a and b in FIGURE 3, allowing a better view of the placement of the folded chute by elimination of fin No. 13 from the view.

FIGURE 6 is a front view of the positioning yoke or tip-up device.

The toy consists of a simulated space capsule which may have a parachute attached, a booster balloon and a launching rack of which capsule, booster balloon and rack are shown in FIGURE 1 and the parachute in FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 4 consists of an inflated shape of plastic, rubber, or other likhtweight material simulating a finned space capsule as a last stage of a toy rocket assembly. The capsule 7, is equipped with fins 10, 11, 12, and 13 which project out and rearwardly of said capsule forming a recess as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

The sausage shaped booster balloon 8, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5, is of such a diameter that it fits snugly within the recess caused by the fins of the previously mentioned capsule and is held therein by friction.

The chute 14, as shown in FIGURE 5, consists of lightweight material, Whose shroud lines converge to point 27, where they connnect to one line 15, which is the length of the distance from the nose of the capsule to the recess. The other end of the line 15 is connected to the nose of the capsule. Chute 14 and the lines are folded and placed in the recess as shown in FIGURE 5 by dotted lines indicating both line 15 and chute 14 before launching.

Capsule 7 and the booster balloon may be hand launched or launched with the launching rack as shown in FIGURE 1. The position of the capsule and the booster balloon, as indicated in FIGURE 1, is maintained by a spring release, as detailed in FIGURE 2, and a tipup device or positioning yoke as detailed in FIGURE 6.

The spring release of the inflated toy is actuated by pressing lever 23, toward point 21, these being held apart by spring 24. The lever 23 is pivoted at 18, so that pressing lever 23 to part 21 causes part 25 to pull away from part 19 thereby releasing the nozzle of the booster balloon.

The tip-up yoke, as shown in FIGURE 6, consists of pivot 17, rack 9, and yoke 16. The semicircular yoke 16 is mounted on a free swinging pivot 17 and is slightly weighted at point 26, so as to rest naturally with point 26 downward from the vertical.

Positioning of the inflated toy, as shown in FIGURE 1, should be with the base or nozzle of the booster balloon 8 in the spring release 25, and the top of the assembly leaning slightly toward the rack 9, and with the semicircular yoke 16 slightly lower than horizontal. The triggering of spring 23 allows escaping air to exert an upward thrust to the toy which resultant thrust pushes the toy into vertical flight unimpeded by resistance from the free swinging yoke 16, which seeks its natural position, i.e., with yoke 16 up and weighted portion 26 down.

In flight, the air in booster balloon 3 is exhausted, thus eliminating holding friction and propellant pressure and allowing booster balloon 8 to separate from capsule 7, each falling accordingy to its own specific gravity. The chute 14, now free of the holding pressure of the booster balloon, unfolds and lowers capsule 7 to the earth.

Having described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A launcher for toy rockets comprising, in combination,

a base and releasable clamp means on said base for holding and closing the inlet mouth of a toy balloon, an upright on said base,

a yoke pivotally mounted on said upright about a generally horizontal axis, said yoke having a notched end portion for guidably receiving a toy balloon rocket,

and means for weighting said yoke to normally swing said notched end portion upwardly.

2. A toy rocket and launcher assembly comprising, in 5 combination,

a launcher including a base and an upright secured to the base, releasable clamp means mounted on said base, and a yoke pivotally carried by said upright about a horizontal pivot axis,

an elongate, inflated balloon having its inlet mouth engaged and closed by said clamp means and having its main body disposed in upstanding relation adjacent said upright,

said yoke having an arcuate notch in one end receiving said main body of the balloon to stabilize and guide same,

and wherein said yoke has weight means to normally swing the notched end thereof upwardly.

References Cited'by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,520,713 8/1950 Diehr 12425 2,879,624 3/1959 Benson 4686 3,128,381 6/1964 Branneman 4674 X FOREIGN PATENTS 161,579 3/1955 Australia. 1,23 6,097 6/ 1960 France.

15 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. BOVASSO, Assistant Examiner. 

2. A TOY ROCKET AND LAUNCHER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A LAUNCHER INCLUDING A BASE AND AN UPRIGHT SECURED TO THE BASE, RELEASABLE CLAMP MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, AND A YOKE PIVOTALLY CARRIED BY SAID UPRIGHT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL PIVOT AXIS, AN ELONGATE, INFLATED BALLOON HAVING ITS INLET MOUTH ENGAGED AND CLOSED BY SAID CLAMP MEANS AND HAVING ITS MAIN BODY DISPOSED IN UPSTANDING RELATION ADJACENT SAID UPRIGHT, SAID YORK HAVING AN ARCUATE NOTCH IN ONE END RECEIVING SAID MAIN BODY OF THE BALLOON TO STABILIZE AND GUIDE SAME, AND WHEREIN SAID YORK HAS WEIGHT MEANS TO NORMALLY SWING THE NOTCHED END THEREOF UPWARDLY. 